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Blood flow restriction training (BFR) is an innovative technique that's gaining traction in the fitness world. It involves restricting blood flow to a specific muscle group during exercise using inflatable cuffs. This may sound counterintuitive,but BFR training offers a unique way to achieve muscle growth and strength gains similar to traditional high-intensity weight lifting, but with lighter weights. How Does BFR Training Work? During BFR training, the cuffs placed around your arms or legs restrict blood flow out of the working muscles. This creates a state of metabolic stress, similar to what you'd experience during intense exercise. This stress triggers the body's growth hormone response, leading to muscle growth and improved strength.  Benefits of BFR Training There are several benefits to incorporating BFR training into your workout routine. Here are a few key advantages: Build muscle and strength with lighter weights : BFR training allows you to achieve muscle-building results using lighter weights, which can be beneficial for those recovering from injuries or with limitations in lifting heavy weights. Reduced stress on joints : By using lighter weights, BFR training puts less stress on your joints, making it a suitable option for those with joint pain or conditions like arthritis . Improved rehabilitation : BFR training can be a valuable tool in rehabilitation programs , helping to rebuild muscle strength and function after injuries. Blood flow restriction training offers a unique and effective way to build muscle and strength. If you're looking to optimize your workouts and achieve your fitness goals, consider incorporating BFR training into your routine. Schedule a consultation with a physical therapist at Agape Physical Therapy to learn more about BFR training and discuss if it's right for you. Our experienced therapists can help you develop a safe and effective BFR training program to help you reach your full potential.

Pain. It's a universal experience, an unpleasant sensation that warns us of potential harm. But what if we told you pain isn't always a straightforward indicator of tissue damage? That's where pain science comes in – a field revolutionizing our understanding of this complex phenomenon. Traditionally, pain was viewed as a direct result of tissue injury. However, pain science reveals a more nuanced picture. The brain plays a significant role in interpreting pain signals, influenced by factors like stress, emotions, and past experiences. This means that pain can persist even after the initial injury has healed. This is where physical therapy steps in. Physical therapists are movement experts trained in pain science. They can help you understand your pain, identify contributing factors, and develop a personalized treatment plan to address them. This may involve manual therapy techniques, exercise programs, and education on pain management strategies. Physical therapy for pain goes beyond simply reducing discomfort. It empowers you to take control of your condition. By addressing the underlying causes of pain and restoring optimal movement patterns, physical therapy can significantly improve your quality of life. You'll experience increased flexibility, strength, and function, allowing you to return to the activities you love – pain-free. Ready to take charge of your pain? Schedule an appointment with Agape Physical Therapy today! Our team of skilled therapists will work with you to create a personalized plan to manage your pain and get you back on track to living a life without limitations. Visit agapephysicaltherapy.com to schedule an appointment today! Want to hear more about Pain Science? Listen to our Doctor of Physical Therapy , Brandon Duca from our Greece clinic who spoke on the radio about this very topic! Click the link to listen! https://www.seniorsrockradio.com/index.cfm?Page=Past-Shows

Do you or someone you know ever struggle with lymphedema or swelling, aching and/or heavy legs, or the presence of varicose veins or “spider veins”? If so, compression therapy may help! The lymphatic system, in large, is important for the optimal functioning of our immune system, as the lymphatic system is vital in producing white blood cells that stave off infections and other diseases. The lymphatic system is complementary to the circulatory system, in that it functions to maintain healthy fluid balances within the body tissues by removing excess fluids that leak from the blood vessels. Wearing compression stockings daily has been shown to decrease fatigue and pain in the legs and feet due to swelling or lymphedema. Without effective compression therapy, chronic venous diseases can develop, leading to worsening fatigue, pain, and fluid accumulation in the legs if left untreated. Sufferers of chronic venous disease are great candidates for compression therapy. What is compression therapy and how does it work? Compression therapy ultimately helps to decrease swelling and pain in the legs by improving blood flow in the lower extremities; thus, strengthening venous circulation and improving efficiency of the lymphatic system to drain waste and excess fluid from tissues in the body. In addition to providing pain relief associated with lymphedema or swelling, compression therapy is also highly effective for wound and ulcer management by reducing overall healing time. Compression therapy improves circulation and provides tissue oxygenation in order to accelerate wound healing, and may help to prevent development of venous ulcers. Who Can Benefit from Compression Therapy? For people with lymphedema or swelling, compression therapy is a highly preferred treatment for symptom management. Compression stockings should be worn during the day when in standing and with physical activity/exercise, and removed just before going to bed. Stockings should then be put on again first thing in the morning. Compression therapy can have numerous benefits for individuals in a wide variety of settings when used as directed. People who stand all day at work may utilize compression to help reduce fatigue, pain, or swelling by increasing blood and oxygen flow in the legs and feet when standing for long durations during the day. Athletes may wear compression on their legs, arms or hands to help improve blood flow and oxygen delivery with strenuous physical activity. Pregnant women may wear compression stockings to reduce the chances of swelling in their legs, feet or ankles during pregnancy. Compression may be indicated for individuals who cannot leave their bed or are confined to a wheelchair to help improve blood flow, reduce swelling, and decrease risk for ulcerations or wounds. Airplane passengers may elect to wear compression socks to help increase circulation and reduce their risk of developing deep vein thrombosis or blood clots when traveling. Compression therapy helps to prevent the development of a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in the legs, and is often necessary for patients following surgery to prevent blood from pooling in the veins of the lower extremities.

Snow is inevitable when living in the Northeast and most people need to shovel snow at some point each winter. Shoveling can lead to injury if done incorrectly so here are some tips to avoid injury while shoveling. Push the snow in front of you : it is best to keep the shovel in front of you rather than scooping a load of snow onto the shovel and then twisting to throw it into the pile. By keeping the shovel close to your body, you will place less strain on your back. Lift with your legs : once you have pushed the snow to the edge of the pile, bend your hips and knees and lift with your legs. Utilize the bigger muscles (glutes, quads and hamstrings) in your legs rather than the smaller muscles in your back. Move your feet so that the shovel stays close to your body when you place the snow on the pile. Do not bend your back to scoop the snow or twist to throw it on the pile as this is the type of movement that may cause back pain. Squeeze your abdominals : While lifting with your legs, keep your back straight by squeezing your abdominals to protect your spine from the load. By bending the knees and hips rather than bending at your back you will reduce the force through your spine and decrease the risk of injury. Never hold your breath : It is important never to hold your breath while shoveling. If the snow is heavy, it is better to do a little bit at a time rather than trying to remove all of the snow at once. More frequent shoveling may be a good idea so that there is not a large quantity of snow to remove all at once. Stop if you become short of breath or experience pain : Shoveling is hard work for the whole body so make sure to rest often if you become short of breath. Also, drink plenty of water before you begin as it is easy to become dehydrated while shoveling. If at any time you experience pain, stop immediately. Most injuries that occur from shoveling involve back muscles or the discs in your spine. Physical therapists are experts in treating musculoskeletal injuries, so if you are experiencing pain after shoveling contact your local PT today !

A new year brings about a lot of emotions. We are excited for a fresh start and we are encouraged to make healthy changes compared to last year. But what if you have pain? What if you start exercising and you start to hurt? I want to tell you about physical therapy and how we can help you reach those New Year’s resolutions. Physical therapists are trained in the ability to evaluate how you move and come up with a plan to help improve that movement in a pain free way. But what does that look like? Well, let’s talk about it. The first thing a physical therapy evaluation includes is discussion of your history. We want to know what you have done in the past and what led to an increase in discomfort. We also want to know what your goals are. Maybe you want to be able to pick up your grandkids or maybe you want to be able to golf this summer. These are things that physical therapy can help you get back to. After we talk about your main complaint and your goals, then we look at how you move. This includes watching you walk, strength testing, and then do other activities that may be related to your injury. Some of these movements may be difficult for you but this will help us come up with a plan to help you move better. On that first evaluation we will also give you a few exercises to go home with. This may include some simple stretching or strengthening movement that we discuss and have you practice in the clinic. At the end of the session, we go over everything we talked about and figure out how many times you need to come in. Sometimes people want to come in 2 or 3 times a week or you may only want to do once a week for a few weeks. This is something you can talk to your therapist about and come up with a plan that works for everyone. We want you to be successful with reaching your fitness and movement based goals for 2022! We would love to help you should you have pain or difficulty reaching these goals. Please feel free to call any office to discuss with a physical therapist on how we may be able to help!

What is Direct Access? In New York State, most health insurance carriers will cover physical therapy without a doctor referral, so long as the PT has at least 3 years of treatment experience. This gives you the ability to refer yourself right to Physical Therapy, the people who are trained as primary care providers for sport related injuries, aches/ pains, women’s health specialties, vertigo, work related pains and much more. How does it work? The rules are simple. Each year you are allowed 10 visits, or 30 days with a physical therapist, per body part. This means if your shoulder is aching from a weekend of playing football in the backyard, you can call a physical therapist and have them evaluate you and make a treatment plan to get your pain free functioning shoulder restored. If the sustained injury requires more time than the allotted 30 day period, your physical therapist will assist with educating your physician on your health status to acquire a script in order to finish up your care with whatever extra time is needed for you. Direct Access does not end there however. Down the road, if you were to need any other care from your PT, Direct Access is able to be used for another body area within the same year. For example, once that shoulder is fixed, and you want to get to work on your knee that’s been a bother for quite some time as well, get that evaluated as well! Is PT cheaper if I have a script from my physician? Your cost for PT access is no different if you have a physician referral or not. It all depends on your insurance coverage or if you choose to pay out of pocket. I’m interested, what do I do to get started? Give your favorite PT a call . Here at Agape we are very quick to get people in with a therapist who is Direct Access eligible. We will also check your benefits for you so you’ll know exactly how much the services cost for you!

The bottom line. It’s safe to assume that this is the information we are all interested in any time we head to the doctor, dentist, mechanic or hair salon. We know the same rule applies for physical therapy and in the age of high copays and high deductible health plans we often have to brace ourselves when walking up to the receptionist’s desk after our appointment or after finding that statement in the mailbox It’s a safe bet that not knowing how much PT will cost prevents a lot of us from even picking up the phone or pulling up a website to schedule that first appointment. It pains me to think of how many people have been written a PT referral, are walking around with pain on a daily basis, or are just waiting for that injury to get better “on it’s own” due to financial anxieties. Now I’m one who rarely jumps on virtual internet soapboxes, but I’m going to just this once to make a case for physical therapy being the most frugal option for you to deal with your current pain or injury. The reason I can stand on this virtual soapbox is because there is actual research and evidence that shows which provider you see first for your injury has a drastic effect on how much money you will spend to treat that injury. If you followed the link to the evidence, I commend your thoroughness in investigating this topic. If you did not, I appreciate your trust in me to summarize the research for you which shows that physical therapy not only offers the lowest costs but also achieves the same or better outcomes, especially when compared to pain medications, injections and surgeries. To break this down even further for you, I’ve created a list of products I’ve come across recently that cost about the same if not more than one episode of PT care (around 8 visits). For the sake of transparency, I must disclose that I will receive a small financial incentive if you purchase any products using the affiliate links below (just kidding, I wish). Weird looking ceiling fan at Home Depot One tire for your truck at Discount Tire A new bedroom set from IKEA A working Lego Grand Piano from the Lego Shop A 4.5 star Robot Vacuum on Amazon That YMCA membership you can’t use because you’re in pain Now I’m willing to bet some of you are thinking, “I really would prefer a new bedroom set over going to physical therapy,” but let me tell you, 5 hours of crawling around the floor trying to put that thing together and your back is going to wish you had invested in the therapy in the first place. There is a lot to be said about knowing the cost upfront of the investment you are making into your body, health, and function. Rest assured that we will run your insurance benefits and let you know your total out of pocket cost BEFORE your first appointment. I have yet to meet a physical therapist who wasn’t willing to work within your budget to help you meet your goals. Please, please do not put off the care you need any longer. If you do, it just might cost you.

Doctorate of Physical Therapy (PT, DPT) As a profession physical therapy has moved towards a doctorate degree since 2005. A major consideration in doing this was to allow for direct access to physical therapy without a script from a primary care provider being required. This allows physical therapists, as movement specialists to be the front line provider assessing musculoskeletal impairments. However, to achieve this in a safe and ethical manner physical therapists must be able to differentiate between a musculoskeletal impairment and non musculoskeletal symptoms and pathologies. These symptoms are known as “Red Flags” and would require a patient to be referred out to the appropriate practitioner to assess and diagnose their symptoms. A red flag symptoms a therapist may look for can range from an irregularly shaped freckle to a stress fracture in a patient's foot. Physical therapists use evidence based practice and are equipped with the proper tools and education to keep our patients safe within our direct access care. Red Flag Symptoms: Fracture Cancer Neurologic disorders (MS, ASL, Parkinson’s) Cardiovascular diseases and disorders Organ based referred pain  Therapists assess a patient's symptoms based on their response to movement. Patients who have a red flag symptom will not respond within the typical pattern of a musculoskeletal impairment or will have no change based on movement. A red flag will prompt a PT to contact the patients primary care provider and refer them out to be assessed to allow for our patients to receive the proper care and medical intervention.

How many times have you recalled a scenario in which you heard phrases from a healthcare provider such as, “I believe you’re walking based on what I saw” “You have degeneration throughout your entire back” “Youcan’t should take it easy, you could make it worse’ Time and time again, you enter a physical therapy clinic and are led to believe you are broken, vulnerable, weak, or susceptible to further injury if you move a certain way. But the human body is capable of so much more! Our bodies were meant to bend, to squat, to lift things from the ground, and simply adapt to the stresses of everyday life. Imagine trying to put on your shoes and socks and do so without bending your back, even slightly. You can’t do it! If your healthcare provider recommends you avoid any and all movements that may be stressful to the body, but doesn’t provide you with alternatives, find someone who will!  The human body is inherently strong and was meant to bend, lift, and move freely. Find a physician, spine specialist, physical therapist, or other healthcare provider that makes you feel empowered and encourages resilience and strength! Take control of your chronic low back achesand pains today!